Change of Pace
by SamNny
Summary: What would have happened to Risa if Hiwatari hadn't of been able to stop Krad? Alternate version to episode 24. SatoRisa


The bright force gripped tighter and tighter around her fragile body, threatening to break her. She tried to scream, but her throat felt as if it were closing up. She was frozen in mid air, legs and arms stiff, body unmoving, eyes shut tightly, and mouth open. She couldn't even force tears to spill out as her captor maliciously stared her down. He had said something about not liking her eyes. Whatever effect they had on him, it was a bad one. He tried to grip her tighter with his light, however, he appeared to be struggling.

And he was, for he had an inner force desperately trying to break free and fight. His bluenette counterpart was willing his way to the surface, one of his sapphire eyes showing themselves besides Krad's golden one. It faded in and out, and if Risa could open her eyes, she'd know that he was fighting to save her. Satoshi Hiwatari, boy genius and cutest in her grade, was giving this fight everything he had to save her.

Although, she wouldn't have suspected any hidden agenda behind it. He wasn't doing it for a special reason, only because she was another human being, and even he wasn't cold enough to let Krad torture, or even kill her. He didn't even think about why he was trying so hard, only that he had to or she would die. Risa Harada, the most popular girl in his grade and the younger of the Harada twins, was about to be crushed by his dark alter ego. He couldn't let that happen.

But no matter how much energy he put forth, Krad held him down. There was no one around to stop him. Dark had flown off with Riku after Krad had tried to slice her in two and Daisuke was still trapped inside his own painting. He was all alone in the fight to stop Krad, just as he had always been. However, fighting off yourself was far less stressful when he wasn't threatening to kill one of your classmates. Someone you cared about. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he did care about Risa in some sort of respect.

Daisuke had told him plenty of times that both he and the twins were his friends. He reminded him how it was Risa who helped him out of the freezer at school the first time he transformed in public. It was Risa who tried to prevent him from having to dress as Dark for their class play, even though she failed. And just now, it was Risa who called out to him after he transformed, trying to bring him back. They might not have had a lot of time together, but she had never done him wrong.

Daisuke told him the kind of things she said about him every time his name was mentioned. How he was cool and collected, a little distant and strange, but somehow kind and a good person. She firmly believed that, even though he was the one who was trying to capture her beloved Dark. Thinking back on it, Hiwatari couldn't think of a reason to not call her his friend. She often smiled at him in the hallway, studied near him in the library, and talked to him at his step-father's social events. It was all the very small things she did, without even her noticing, that made him consider her a friend. Of course, he couldn't dwell on such thoughts, because they only fed Krad's anger.

It was hard enough just being Daisuke's friend. It angered Krad to know that his host was getting close to others. He was doing things out of the ordinary and almost living a normal life when he was around. If he had stopped to consider the twins as friends, too, Krad would have destroyed him and everyone he cared about a long time ago. So he didn't think about it, didn't even consider it. When Daisuke brought it up, he just brushed it off. Sure, he let him talk, but he never responded and never gave it a second thought. And it had worked up until now.

If Daisuke hadn't gotten locked away in his painting... if Riku hadn't tried to fight back... if Risa hadn't looked at him with those eyes... and he wasn't dwelling on all of this now... maybe then he would have the will to stop Krad. The powerful emotions he holds for his friends aren't giving him the strength to fight, they're giving Krad the strength to stop him. How counterproductive and a horrid twist of fate. He was slowly draining himself of all his energy, losing the will to fight, and thus giving Krad the strength and concentration he needed to finish his attack.

He let the light force wrap itself tighter around her until a cracking sound could be heard. The sound got louder and louder and louder until her scream was finally able to pierce the evening air and... _snap!_ The light faded and Krad grinned wickedly as the brunette fell to the ground, wincing in pain. Her eyes widened and her pupils got bigger and small, bigger and smaller, and her breathing was uneven and jagged. She gripped her sides tightly, afraid to let herself go. Tears streamed steadily down her face while she tried to call out for help. Krad laughed evilly at her pain and then spread his wings to fly away.

As he took for the sky, Hiwatari stared back at Risa. He, too, was crying. His was angry with himself for his failed attempt to save her. Now he was leaving her, on the ground and in pain, to fend for herself, while Krad chased after Dark. He didn't know whether he wanted to also harm Riku, or if now he was just focused on Dark, but he didn't care. He had to get out and go back for Risa. He couldn't stop her from getting hurt, but he prayed to God he could save her from dying. Whatever had snapped within her could be fatal and he had to act quickly.

He saw Krad trying to land in the middle of the forest, seeing that Riku was passed out on the ground and Dark was right next to her, gripping his shoulder in pain. When Krad landed, he instantly charged at Dark, who was taken completely off guard. Krad stabbed the sword in his other shoulder in hopes of rendering his arms useless. Without his arms, Dark couldn't use any of his attacks, let alone pull out a feather to blast him with. As Dark cried out in pain, Riku stirred and lazily opened her eyes.

Now was his only chance. Hiwatari used every last bit of strength to show his desperate eyes and regain control of his voice. He spoke roughly and in tiny bits, but Riku and Dark understood.

"Fight me... take... sword... save Daisuke... hurt m..."

And then he was gone. Krad had once again regained control, but Hiwatari gave a long enough distraction for Dark to take hold of the sword and pull it out. He had another deep wound, but he used what little strength he could and pushed Krad backwards. The sword was tossed from his hands and Dark lunged at him, forcing him to the ground. Their hands were locked together, both battling to submit the other. Dark was bleeding heavily and in a lot of pain. Riku pulled herself up and ran over to the sword, picking it up quickly, and running towards Krad. She yelled for Dark to move and he did so hastily. As one force was lifted from Krad's body, another came crashing down on it. This time it was he who was pierced with the sword. Riku hit directly in his side, right above his hip. She pulled the sword up and slammed it down again in a close by spot. Krad screeched in agony as Riku twisted the sword. Her eyes were shut the entire time, her brain trying to process what she was doing.

Deep within Krad, Hiwatari was also crying out in pain. Every blow Krad took, he felt as well. Although he wasn't being physically marked, he could feel his insides bleeding and shutting down. He could hear Dark yelling for Riku to stop, while he moved her aside and took to punching Krad repeatedly. Hiwatari could feel the blood rushing down Krad's body from the inside and his own face felt bruised and marred. But after a few more blows, Krad was rendered unconscious and Hiwatari used the last bit of his strength to reclaim his body.

Now back on the outside, he lifted his tired eyes to see Dark trying to bring himself into the blackened painting. Knowing it wasn't going to work, he somehow managed to crawl over and be of assistance. He pulled out his paint set, amazed that it survived such an intense battle. He quickly and skillfully recreated Daisuke's painting and watched as Dark used With to fly in and try and save his tamer. He also witnessed Riku dart over and grab hold of the Phantom Thief, forcing him to bring her along. Soon they were both gone, both going after Daisuke in an attempt to bring him back.

As touching as that was, Hiwatari pulled himself back to reality. Risa. She was still out there and in pain. He was amazed as he felt his body go numb, allowing him to stand and sprint back in her direction. He couldn't feel his legs carry him or the wind in his hair, but it didn't matter to him. He didn't care how he did it; all he cared about was making it back to her and finding her still alive. He moved ungracefully through the forest until he saw the clearing where the battle had taken place. He frantically searched around for Risa, becoming more and more desperate with each passing second. He finally saw her sprawled out form near the wall she and Riku had been hiding behind.

She had managed to drag herself that far in intense pain while he was gone. He dropped to his knees next to her and checked her pulse. It was barely there, almost like a far off echo, and he knew he had very little time to act. He cradled her gently in his arms and stood, amazed that body would allow him to put so much strain on himself. He started to run again, moving much slower than before, and he knew he wasn't going to make it. He could faintly feel his body again and that meant that a surge of pain would soon come washing through him.

He took a leap of faith, asked for one last miracle of God, and prayed that he could do this. He felt a wave of pain rip through his back and he knew what was coming. Krad was still dormant, unconscious from the earlier fight, but that didn't mean Hiwatari couldn't call upon his wings. But they weren't really Krad's, because his were pure white, giving Krad the deceitful appearance of an angel. No, Hiwatari's had a slight tint of blue, so slight that you wouldn't be able to tell from a distance. But they were light, light blue and his very own. They tore free from his back, tearing his skin and shedding his blood along the way, but they moved of their own accord and took him towards the sky.

He now flew with the dying girl in his arms, eyes shut tightly, whimpering in agonizing pain. His wings hurt worse than Krad's and he wasn't sure how much more pain he could take. But God answered his prayer, giving him his own wings to fly on, and he couldn't refuse this miracle. He had to keep going. So he forced his eyes open and soared on, keeping his eyes open for the hospital. Thankful to see it so soon, he dived down toward it and landed roughly. He fell to his knees again and his wings retreated into his back, sending another wave of pain through him. He screamed loudly, alerting the hospital staff, and they came rushing out.

He felt Risa being lifted from his arms and he was able to open his eyes one last time to see her being carried inside. He smiled slightly before colliding into the pavement. It was up to them to save her now.

And while he was unconscious, they did everything in their power to save them both. He didn't know what was going on around him, for he was lost in a dream world. He saw Daisuke, laughing and smiling his crooked smile at Riku. She laughed back at him and they seemed to be caught up in themselves. It was clearly love in its blooming stage and they were both the flowers getting ready to blossom. He then saw Dark and Daisuke, arguing like they always do over Dark's childish actions. Despite their angry appearance, they were a perfect match for each other. Complete opposites adding excitement to each other's lives.

Then he saw Risa. She was sitting at her desk, glaring at her textbook, clearly frustrated by whatever assignment they were doing. He remembered the one time she actually spoke to him in class and asked him how he could so effortlessly complete their assignments and find time to read his novels. He didn't give her much of a response and quickly turned his attention back to his book. She didn't seem to care, probably expecting such a reaction from him, but boy did he wish he would have answered her now.

It's funny how a near dying experience made him wish he could change everything about his life. He wished he wouldn't have spent so much time chasing Dark. He wished he would have joined a club or activity at school. He wished he would have spent more time making and being with friends. He wished he would have opened up more to Daisuke. And he really wished he had gotten to know Risa better. He didn't know why he was so desperate to know her, but she seemed so important right now. Maybe because she seemed to be dying, too? It's very well possible. He knew that if he had done all those things, it would have caused him more pain and sorrow, but something told him it would have been worth it. Now he would never know.

A few days later, he woke up in a hospital bed. The nurses and doctors came to check on him, asking him what had happened. He didn't answer them truthfully, though, saying that he had been in a fight and he coincidentally found Risa lying unconscious on the ground. Of course no one believed him, but when he told them of his position in the police force, they quickly let him be. He was then discharged and free to go. He asked the nurse at the front desk about Risa and she told him that she was still unconscious, but going to be fine. She had fractured several ribs and had some internal bleeding, but everything was under control now.

He asked to visit her and the nurse pointed him in the right direction. He walked into her room and noticed all the flowers, balloons, and stuffed animals that had been left for her. Her family must have been by. He then remembered that there had been a "Get Well" balloon in his room, too, and he knew that Daisuke must have been successfully retrieved. He walked over to Risa's bedside and looked down at her. Even with all the wires and tubes attached to her, she was still beautiful. He quickly banished such thoughts and smiled at her. He gently grabbed her hand and gave it a slight squeeze, silently telling her that he was glad she was alright. He brushed some loose hair out of her eyes and let her go. She needed rest and her family and friends would probably be in to see her soon. He had wanted to leave her a gift, too, but decided against the obvious. So before he walked out the door and headed for home, he left a light blue feather in her hand.

_Thank you for calling out to me, Miss Harada. Even though I couldn't stop you from getting hurt, you gave me the strength to free myself and save you. You gave me my wings._ _I am surely in your debt, my friend._

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><p>"AN: Alright, let me clear up a few things. First of all, this is an alternate version to episode 24, centered around Risa and Hiwatari. Obviously it didn't actually happen like this. Second of all, I know this wasn't really romantic, but it had subtle hints and I didn't want to overdo it because of all the events that still had to take place in episode 26. At the end of that episode, he and Risa give each other that look and I think that's how all of us knew they had feelings for each other. I wanted this story to hint towards him realizing his feelings and then making them known in episode 26. This idea came to me while I was making a video for YouTube with the Harada twins. I used that clip from episode 24 where Krad has a hold of Risa and Hiwatari's blue eye flashes through and I thought, "Hm, what if he hadn't of been able to stop Krad?" I'll post a link to it on my profile. Anyway, I hope that clears up any confusion and I hope you enjoyed the story. Please review!"


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